How to Overcome Tardiness: 15 Ways to Be Punctual

Getting reprimanded for always coming to school or working late? Do you always include overcoming tardiness in your every New Year’s resolution but nothing changes? Maybe it is time to start taking little steps that will help you achieve this objective successfully.

So how do you overcome tardiness? You do not have to wait for the New Year to begin working on your punctuality goal. Check out these 15 ways that can help you stop being tardy and start being punctual.

1. It all starts with self-discipline.
You have to understand that punctuality requires discipline. That means you need to start by setting your mind on creating a habit of being an early bird. Just like working out in the gym, you need a strong will to keep pursuing this goal because it will take consistency for it to be effective.

2. Sleep early.
One of the usual reasons why a person gets late is because of sleeping late. Of course, your body needs enough rest to regain energy for the next day, so it is hard to wake up when the resting time is incomplete yet. Therefore, if you want to wake up early, then you need to sleep early too.

3. Ask someone to wake you up.
If you have a problem waking up early—even with the alarm clock right beside your ear—then it is time to ask for help. You can ask a family member or anyone you share home with to wake you up at a certain time so you can get up early.

4. Prepare your things before going to sleep.
It is best to prepare your uniform or outfit and all the stuff you need to bring with you before going to bed. This will help you save time in the morning, especially because you do not need to cram anymore.

5. Plot down your schedules for the day the night before.
Aside from your things, you can also use a planner to arrange your appointments for the next day. This will remind you of the schedule for each, and you can plan your moves ahead of time to get there without being late. For instance, if you have a business meeting at 4 pm, then you can target to finish your work in the office by 3 pm so you will have enough time to prepare for that said appointment, especially if you need to travel.

6. Start your day with a Quiet Time.
A morning devotion with God will motivate you to pursue excellence for the day. Reading the Bible will remind you of how to be a good steward of your life. Moreover, if you want to honor God throughout the day, then you will be more determined to be punctual because you are compelled to be a good example.

7. Go for a morning jog.
If you make it a habit to jog every morning, then you will have to wake up early. Also, exercise can help boost your energy to keep you active. If you start energetically, then you will move faster throughout the day.

8. Plan to arrive an hour or at least 30 minutes before the appointment.
Another important habit that you need to develop is intentionally arriving at your appointment ahead of time. Remember, “If you plan to be on time, you will be late; if you plan to be early, you will be on time.”

9. Leave early to avoid the traffic jam.
If you live in an area where the morning rush hour and heavy traffic jam are inevitable, then be wise by beating them. Yes, you would have to sacrifice more of your beauty rest, but if your goal is to be an early bird, then you have to deal with it. The best solution is sleeping early so you can wake up early as well.

10. Set a reward for yourself.
Another way to motivate yourself to pursue punctuality is by promising yourself a reward. For example, you can challenge yourself to be early for seven days straight. If you can accomplish this, then you can buy those shoes you have always wanted.

11. Try self-punishment.
Opposite to #10, you can apply a little pressure by setting a punishment in case you miss your punctuality goal. In connection to the example above, if you miss hitting the 7-day early bird challenge, then you cannot have coffee for the entire next week.

12. Get an accountability partner.
Having someone follow up on your progress regularly can help you be more serious in overcoming tardiness. It is best if you find someone who had struggled with the same issue before but has been able to win over it. The person can share with you his/her winning strategies, and s/he can encourage you to keep going every time you feel like giving up.

13. Shake off procrastination.
Procrastination is one of the major culprits of being late. It makes you lazy and turns you into a master of delays. If you are struggling with this, then you have to defeat it first before you can successfully overcome tardiness.

14. Train yourself to move faster.
If it takes you two hours to shower and another two to finish breakfast, then the problem lies with how fast you move. If you admit that you are a slowpoke, then it is one of the things that you need to change first. Challenge yourself to move faster by using a timer or stopwatch in finishing a task to monitor your progress.

15. Target to hit the 21-day habit formation goal.
It takes 21 days to create a habit and 7 days to break it. So, if you want to establish a discipline of punctuality, then you need to make every effort to perfect 21 days of being early or, at least, on time. Plus, you get an initial success when you reach the 7th day because you officially break the lateness-habit by that time.

You Can Do It

Tardiness is the problem of many. However, with the right mindset, determination to overcome it, and self-discipline, nothing is impossible. You just need to be consistent in pursuing this goal until this becomes a natural habit for you.

Joan is a freelance blogger who loves writing about personal development. She also loves learning and teaching languages. A Communication Arts graduate, she now pursues a masters degree in Language Teaching. She is into mobile photography, writing poems, and reading for leisure.